Intertwined
by GaLenMoOn
Summary: For as long as she could remember, Rapunzel had always wondered what the outside world was like, what it would feel like to step outside her suffocating tower, and what people out there were like. But what if she had met someone from the outside a little earlier? Just who is this blonde, whiskered boy bleeding at her feet?
1. Intertwined

**I can't believe I actually wrote this, but I couldn't resist. After seeing this movie for the billionth time, I just had to write this up. ****Well, here's my shot at a Naruto/Tangled story.**

**Pairing: Naruto/Rapunzel, of course.**

* * *

_Intertwined_

* * *

"_The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people. You must stay here. Where you are safe."_

Even though they had been spoken hours ago, the grave words of her mother had not for one moment faded from her thoughts. It echoed relentlessly, without end, in her young mind, never ceasing in its intensity as it settled tentatively upon her heart.

For the first time in her short life, she had received the answer she had always wanted to know.

The answer to why should could never leave their tower. The answer to why she would never see the world beyond her tiny window, or feel the green grass swishing beneath her feet.

"_Why can't I go outside?"_

She didn't know how many times she had voiced that question to her mother, but it must have reached a thousand. And every single time she asked, her curiosity had been dismissed without a real explanation—without a good reason why she was to forever be locked in her home.

Not until today, that is. Today was different.

Just as always, once in the evening, her mother had sat her down to brush her lengthy blonde locks, prompting her to sing their very _special_ song. The song that she had known since she was able to talk. And as it had been since her birth, the golden glow of her hair illuminated their living room as she sang that special song.

"Flower gleam and glow…"

She whispered to herself, feeling at ease as the familiar words left her lips.

Today was her birthday.

Earlier, she had nervously looked up as her mother continued to brush her golden hair, and then asked that same question one last time. To see if her mother would finally give her a real, genuine answer.

And she had…

"_The outside world is a dangerous place…" _Her mother had said, just as the last golden wisps of her hair died down.

But even after being given a reason to never leave, she couldn't help but wonder. Where people out in the world really as horrible, selfish and dangerous as her mother had recently proclaimed?

Where they really so vicious?

"Are they?"

She asked herself, inwardly debating the sensitive matter. After all, her mother wasn't vicious, selfish, or horrible… _right?_ And she had lived out in the real world, among other people, beyond the high tower she now called home.

So people outside couldn't be _that _bad.

Part of her wanted to believe her mother—to trust every word she had said concerning what lay beyond her window. But she couldn't. Something within her didn't allow her to believe it.

It was like there wa-

_Oh, it's time!_

Six-year-old Rapunzel opened her emerald eyes to a dimly lit room, ending her recent train of thought in an instant.

Excitement flowed through her every inch of her body once she realized that the time had arrived once again.

The young girl leapt out of her bed with great enthusiasm, nearly getting entangled with her long vibrant hair in her haste. She landed on the floor as softly as possible, eyeing her first destination.

_The door._

She crept slowly, silently, to her door, feeling the soft carpet swish beneath her feet, feeling her long hair gliding across the surface of the floor. That door was the only thing she could use to leave her room. Without it, she would always be in here, locked away, looking out her tiny window, wishing, dreaming that she could get a better look at the event that was to come.

Thankfully, her mother wasn't _that _protective, and she let her move about freely. Only as long as it was within the tower's walls.

Snapping back to reality, She hadn't even realized she had left her room until she heard the soft breathing of her mother. She was sleeping. Her own door open widely, just in case she would need to quickly get to Rapunzel in the event of an emergency.

She stopped her movements abruptly, only inches from her mother's open door. Before her was a hall that led to her final destination.

_Here comes the hard part. _She thought, nervously fidgeting in place. If she woke her mother up, then there was no question that there would be punishment in store for her. Even if it was her birthday, her mother was still very strict about almost everything she did.

She sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and moved as silently as she could. The wooden floor underneath her was hard and unstable, and she always hated trying to sneak across, because most of the time there was this annoying little sound…

_Creak!_

Rapunzel froze in place, heart pounding hard against her chest, thudding in her ears as the high-pitched sound filled the air.

_No…_

Her mother shuffled in her bed.

Rapunzel could feel her little hands shake. That was it. She would be in trouble soon, punished for disobeying her mother and not going to sleep.

A tense moment past.

Followed by another.

And another.

Nothing. No more movement from her mother's room. No angry words streaming from her mother's mouth.

Just silence.

She turned her head to the open room, chancing a tentative glimpse at her mother.

Relief washed over her, and she could feel a small smile tug at her lips.

_Mommy's still asleep. Thank goodness. _She let loose a silent, reassured breath before creeping past the open door with a lot more gentleness than before. Once as far away from her mother's room as possible, little Rapunzel broke into a fervent run, stopping for nothing until she reached her favorite place in the whole tower.

_The window. _

She opened it gently, tugging on its handles softly. And gasped.

Her eyes shining with amazement, she leaned closer, taking in the sight before her. The sight she had waited a whole year to see.

"The floating stars." She sighed happily.

They came only during her birthday, and it made her feel special—as though they were meant for her to see. She couldn't explain it, but she just knew they were hers to enjoy. And no one else's.

Golden stars floated freely in the night sky, filling the blackness of space with beautiful, twinkling stars.

_Were_ they stars?

Rapunzel could only wonder.

They looked stars, but they moved and acted with the wind.

If only she could leave this tower for one night, just one night, then she would be able to see what they truly were.

Stars…

Or floating lights…

Rapunzel didn't know how long stood there, watching the beautiful glow of the night sky, but it felt like hours. And when sleep finally started to overtake, she yawned, her mouth parting widely as she rubbed her eyes with tiny hands.

Even though she didn't receive many things for her birthday, she could confidently say that this was the best one out of any.

Just as she decided to close the window and head back to her room, strange sounds reached her ears.

She froze in place, listening intently for anything that could aid her in deciphering the new sound.

They sounded like grunts. Grunts of effort… and pain.

Her heart pounded hard once more.

Was someone trying to enter the tower?

For the first time in her young life, true terror filled her entire being, so much so that her legs felt heavy and her hands trembled at her sides.

Someone was trying to enter the tower!

Someone was trying to _enter_ the tower!

_What do I do? _She asked herself, turning to look behind her. _What do I do!_

Should she tell her mother?

Or try to prevent the person from entering?

But if she told her mother, she would be in major trouble. But if she didn't, there would be potential danger. If she tried to stop the person, she could get harmed in the process.

Yet, before any of that, she had to first of all move.

But she couldn't, her body and mind were stricken with fear, freezing her entire being in place.

The grunts grew ever louder and ever closer.

_Am I going to die?_

She could feel tears in her eyes, threatening to fall as a bloody hand burst through the open window.

Her heart nearly stopped as she jumped back in alarm.

"_Ugh!" _

She heard a grunt, and then another hand reached for the inside of the widow, trying with great effort to pull its owner up and into the tower.

"W-who's t-there?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

Yet the person behind the window didn't respond.

She was about to scream at the top of her lungs for her mother, but the words died in her throat when a person's face became visible.

This person looked small, young, and in pain.

They pulled them self through the window and collapsed at her feet with a pained groan.

The first thing Rapunzel noticed about the intruder was his hair. It was as bright as the sun, spikey and messy, and matted with… _blood. _

She turned her face away for a moment, alarmed by the shear amount of blood that covered the stranger. Even then, she couldn't keep her eyes away for too long. Her curiosity overtaking her fear.

And the next thing she saw was his face—the face of a _man_.

No, the face of a _boy_, with peculiar whiskered cheeks.

For reasons she could not explain her own cheeks warmed up at the sight of his face. She couldn't explain it, but something about his face made her body feel warm and her eyes unable to look away.

"_The outside world is a dangerous place, filled with horrible, selfish people."_

The words of her mother echoed in her head once more.

But she ignored them, pushing them far from her mind and focusing on the young boy panting and bleeding at her feet.

He had on a cloak, she realized. His face was scrunched up in agony, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. He had a golden breastplate around his chest and a menacing sword in its sheath.

_Who is he? _Rapunzel thought. Had this boy actually climbed up the hundred-foot tower on his own?

The blonde male finally looked up at her with desperation and disorientation in his gaze.

And when she saw his deep, sapphire eyes her heart skipped a beat.

Even though he only looked a few years older than her, his eyes, his big sea-blue orbs looked far older and sadder than they should have. As though he had constantly lived through horrible things and never had any rest.

"Please, help." He wheezed out, saying something for the first time, looking up at her hopefully.

She stepped back unconsciously, and watched as disappointment filled his gaze.

"I-I…"

She stammered, her hands tightening around her pink dress.

"…_filled with horrible, selfish people."_

Should she help him?

Or go tell mother?

If she told her mother, she would most likely throw the boy out into the cold, dark night.

Where he would die.

_Die…_

Did she really want him to perish?

To die without being given a chance?

Of course not!

She knelt down at the boy's side, surprising herself as much as she did him.

And for the first time in her life, Rapunzel truly went against her mother's words.

She would help this boy, who came from the world beyond their tower.

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**And that's a wrap!**

**Naruto is a few years older than Rapunzel, but is still pretty young. Why he's so young, I will explain if I continue this.**

**I'm not expecting much responses with this story. It was just something I had fun writing, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. **

**Until next time.**


	2. Iron will

**Thanks for the reviews you guys. It's always a pleasure reading them. **

**Well on to the next one. Hope you enjoy!**

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_Iron will_

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The night air was dry, almost suffocating, heavy with the bitterness of blistering cold. It was a cold so unnatural for this time of year, so biting and chilling that it sent shivers down his aching spine. The world around him was dark and still, peaceful—undisturbed by the horrendous battle that had occurred just moments ago, and concluded even quicker than it had begun.

The young boy quivered with fear and pain, apprehension clouding his mind, agony gripping his body. He could barely move, let alone think. His body beaten and battered, pierced and bruised, he struggled to lift his trembling legs for even a single step.

Not only was his body weary, but also his mind. He could hardly keep his eyes open a second longer, because he had been awake for what seemed like days, never stopping, always moving, fighting—for himself, as well as for his people.

He was young, too young, far smaller than the soldiers in his unit, but still stronger than ten grown men at once.

His heart ached for those he'd lost, eyes burning with unshed tears. But they didn't fall. In the back of his mind, there was something that made him unable to shed a tear. As though long ago he had fought in countless battles that had taken ever tear from his eyes.

And he had. This night was not his first taste of battle. No, this was just one of the many he had lived through.

Joining the army at a very tender age, for the sake of his kingdom, and due to his… _special_ gifts, he had been thrust into a world in turmoil. War was looming at every corner, his very home falling into a state of vulnerability.

And tensions had finally reached an all-time high, prompting war to break out between his homeland…

…and the foreign land he now inhabited.

He thought it was stupid, all this bloodshed and tension, just over matters that dated back centuries ago. How two kingdoms could be at each other's throats for so long, he could only wonder, and it was all because of some _flower_ with unique, perhaps magical properties, apparently stolen from his home to save a single person's life.

The young boy trudged on silently, pushing the thoughts away from his mind. Whatever the reason for the two kingdom's disputes, he didn't care, as long as his home was safe.

_As long as they're safe…_

Every step he took was chore, his legs buckling beneath him, struggling to support his armored body. For a moment he contemplated removing the breastplate latched onto his chest, but decided against it. It was the symbol of his home, baring the sign of a leaf in the center, something he was never to remove in the face of danger or battle.

Around him was nothing but dense, leafy forest. The grass was overgrown, the trees reaching high into the night sky. A pair of wild rabbits scurried beneath his feet, startling him from his jumbled thoughts.

He didn't know where he was going, or what he was supposed to do. But he had to get away from them. The patrols potentially searching from him in this dark and silent place. Everything he saw was so unfamiliar, so different. Even though his homeland was surrounded and protected by massive, towering trees, this place felt too strange.

For a moment, he considered turning back. To see if any of his fellow soldiers were alive or possibly following him.

_No…_

He shook his head slowly, cringing at the small movement. Nobody in his plutoon, except him, had escaped. They were most likely captured, or dead.

_All this fighting because of a stupid flower. _

He gritted his teeth angrily, revolted by his king's decision to go to war because of so small of a plant. A simple flower. Ha. He almost found it laughable. Going to war because they couldn't let go of the past.

What was so special about that flower anyway?

He could do nothing but wonder. Why did his king—his _father—_choose to put his loyal men's lives at stake? For what reason? Supposedly, it was meant to put an end to the troubles occurring in his homeland.

A low growl rose in the back of his throat. Even if he respected and loved his king greatly, he just didn't understand. Why not use a peaceful, diplomatic approach, instead of this crude, bloody way.

_I'll have to talk to him when I get back. _The young boy thought.

_If_ he ever got back, and didn't die alone in this eerie forest.

Was he going to die?

No. He would survive, like he always did.

He didn't even take three steps before he heard the pounding of feet against the earth. A spark of shock and pain pulsed through him, shattering his momentary reverie. He half spun, half swayed, just to get a look of what was behind him. The orange glow of a lantern filled his vision, and that was all it took for him to know.

They were still after him.

He spun around once more, wincing as agony overtook his left leg. But he ignored it, mustered up his resolve, called open the ancient energy that had been within him since he could remember. It pulsed through his veins, snaking around him with invisible tendrils, filling his legs, numbing the pain, and giving him strength. Strength to run with the swiftness of a horse, perhaps even quicker.

He could hear their voices in the distance, fading as his feet carried him through the forest. The world around became a blur, a mess of swaying grass and bending trees. He didn't know where was running and didn't care. All he knew was that he had to get away from them.

He ran and ran for what felt like hours, making sharp turns in his mild dash to escape his pursuers, leaping over freezing streams and slippery marsh, nearly losing his footing on the muddy ground.

When he saw a small entrance in a hollow cave, shrouded by overgrown vines and leaves, he took it, entering without care as his body approached its limit. Something that had never happened to him before. He stumbled, suddenly unable to keep his previous pace, the power pulsing through him all but used up.

He collapsed to the ground with a startled gasp, surrounded by the dark walls of the cave, unable to believe that he was so exhausted.

And then the pain returned, no longer dulled by the power flowing beneath his skin, within his veins.

He could see the blood that painted his body dripping to the ground.

So much _blood. _

It startled him. Never had he seen so much of his crimson essence flowing so freely.

Maybe he was going to die. A young prince gone to fight for his nation perishing in a strange land.

_No. _He staggered to his trembling feet, shivering harshly as a night wind blew through the cave.

He had to survive. And if not for himself, then for his people.

For his mother, who so desperately needed him.

He would not give up.

When he pushed away the vines and leaves that covered the other side of the dark cave, his eyes instantly went wide with surprise.

_A... tower?_

Truth be told, before him, was a tower reaching high into the night sky. It was a beautifully designed structure, undoubtedly constructed to protect and keep intruders out, because he could see no stairs to aid someone in their ascent up the tower, or their decent to the earth below.

He did know how he was going to do it, but was going to have to get up there if he wanted to live.

Even then, there was no guarantee that help would be found in the confines of that tower. Yet he trudged on.

His vision was blurring so much that he could barely see the striking details of the tower. The grass beneath him was slick and moist. The roar of a waterfall not too distant reached his ears.

If he weren't in such dire straits, then he would have paused to admire it.

For what felt like hours, he moved to closer and closer to the tower, mind and body slowly shutting down.

_I'm not gonna die._

He repeated to himself.

_I'm not gonna die._

It kept him going, kept his mind active.

And when he finally reached the tower, felt the icy touch of the stony surface, he collapsed against it, panting and heaving with exertion.

He didn't fall however, only leaned against the tower, using it to support himself. His dimming eyes traveled to the very top of the imposing structure, the only place where entry could be granted, and his heart sank with despair.

_It's so high. _

It had to be well over a hundred feet, perhaps over two hundred.

His eyes hardened with determination.

He would never give up. Not now, and certainly not later.

Before he attempted such a climb, something strange captured his attention. Something he had only heard of, but never actually saw.

He painstakingly turned his head so that he could peer into the night sky.

Golden lights filled his senses, lights so beautiful and captivating. They floated freely in the dark sky, shining brighter than any star, and moving as gently as snow fluttering in a breeze.

His eyes went wide.

_The lanterns. _He thought, truly in awe of the spectacle occurring before him.

He had heard about this event so many times, but had never seen it. From what he knew, it took place every year because of the mysterious disappearance of the princess of this land.

It was strange, yet admirable, that this nation would still do this even though they were at war.

He watched for a moment longer more before returning to the matter at hand.

Climbing this tower.

He rose his trembling hands to the chilling stone exterior and focused.

He felt it. A spark in his abdomen, a warmth churning in his stomach. He called upon this energy one last time.

_His _inner energy. His gift from birth. His _Chakra. _

It filled his hands and feet, steadily supplied by his stomach, using the last bits to save his life.

He climbed the tower like a spider, limbs sticking to the surface without slipping.

He grunted in agony and effort, left leg and right arm protesting his movements. He could feel the last bits of his strength fading, his eyes closing, heart thudding hard against his chest. He climbed and climbed, never stopping, never giving up.

Until he reached the top, his energy finally ceasing.

_No._

He slipped. His limbs unable to stick to the surface any longer.

Before he could fall, he reached out to grasp the inside of the open window.

"_Ugh!"_

He grunted as he caught himself with a single hand, holding his bodyweight with one arm.

Then using another hand, he finally pulled himself through the massive window, expending the last of his energy, and collapsing into the tower with a groan.

Pain snaked up his body from the sudden fall. His back arched in agony. His fist clenched at his side.

When the pain faded, he looked up, and his heart leapt with surprise and optimism.

Before him was a girl, a girl more beautiful than any he had ever seen. She was young, younger than him, her long blonde hair falling to her feet.

The length of her hair reminded him of his mother.

Her emerald eyes were filled with uncertainty, her hands clenching into fists.

"Please, help."

He spoke, using his voice for the first time.

She stepped away from him, and disappointment filled his gaze.

"I-I…" She began, unable to form a single sentence.

Maybe he would die after all.

Even after all his troubles, he would die at the feet of this girl.

But to his utter surprise, she leaned down next to him, the warmth of her body reaching him.

He didn't know why, but he felt safe with this girl, content and sheltered.

And for the first since entering this strange land, Naruto truly felt safe.

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**Naruto isn't a ninja, but still has chakra, the only one who does. He is a prince, Rapunzel is a princess. Their Kingdom's are at war... over a _flower?_**


	3. Do you trust me

**Once again thanks for the reviews you guys. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I like writing it. **

**Now, on to the next chap.**

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_Do you trust me_

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_I can't believe I'm really doing this!_

Fear and excitement coursed through every fiber of her being, dissolving her innate inhibitions, sending shivers tingling down her spine, and her stomach fluttering with anticipation—the anticipation to finally help someone, to actually _help _someone other than her mother.

But if she said she wasn't terrified, she would be telling nothing but lies. She was absolutely frightened, looking down at his injured form. She knew she was taking a huge gamble by helping him.

Would he be nice or hostile?

Would he talk to her? Become her friend, perhaps?

Her heart raced at the idea alone. Someone her age, speaking to her, relating to her, telling her of the world beyond the tower.

_Not now._

She shook her mind clear of those thoughts.

Right now she needed to help him, whatever the outcome may be.

Rapunzel knelt at the boy's side, looking down at him tentatively, uncertain of what to do… and what to touch. Her cheeks burned, face flushing with embarrassment as she stretched out shaky hands. She had never put her hands on anybody but her mother before. And especially not a _male_, or a boy who looked so close to her in age.

She looked at his face once more, heart fluttering at the sight of his angular visage. What was it about this boy's face that she couldn't get over? That she couldn't turn her eyes away for a single second. It was strange. She felt so drawn to him. Like she had been destined to meet him.

Was it his peculiar whiskered cheeks?

Or his bright blue eyes?

"_Aargh!"_

His cry of agony returned her to the task at hand. She needed to focus and ignore the fact that he was the first person—save for her mother—that she had _ever_ seen.

And when she looked down at him once more, her eyes went wide with alarm and dread. His skin looked too pale, the light in his eyes slowly but surely leaving him. He was dying, shivering harshly against her body, his exposed flesh cold to the touch. If she didn't do anything soon he would leave this earth even quicker.

She nervously leaned closer to him.

"I-I'm going to help you, ok?" She cursed the slight waver in her voice.

She couldn't show him fear.

The young man nodded slowly, his gaze locking with hers in gratitude.

If anything, Rapunzel was truly surprised by the fact that she could ignore the blood on his body. She had never seen so much of it, but she still didn't care. If seeing blood meant that he would live, then she gladly welcomed the sight.

"Can you still stand?" She asked carefully, hoping she wasn't demanding too much of him.

He nodded once more. And slowly, tenderly, she wrapped her arms around his armored waste, cheeks flushing red due to the closeness of such a position. Despite this, she still managed to help him to his feet. His left leg trembled uncontrollably, a deep gash painting his dark pants red with blood.

She ignored the gruesome wound, while wondering who would injure a person so young. Was the world outside her tower so harsh that even children like her were fair game for those larger than them?

He wrapped his left arm around her shoulder. She gasped as his weight pushed down on her, her own legs buckling beneath her, struggling to support his heavy body.

Rapunzel grit her teeth in determination. She had to get him to her room first. At the moment she could do nothing to help him, because her mother was still sleeping a few meters ahead of them.

And if her mother awoke because of them…

She didn't even want to think about the consequences. Not only for her, but for the strange boy dying by her side.

"Thank you..."

Rapunzel started at the sound of his voice, surprised by how soft and innocent it sounded.

She whispered, "For what?"

Even in the dimness of the tower, she could see his features curl into a small smile.

"For not," he coughed, "For not leaving me… to die."

His words were genuine. She could tell. Her eyes found his in the darkness. Emerald meeting Sapphire.

She soon found herself staring, and froze, swiftly turning her gaze away in embarrassment.

"I-It's ok." She replied.

They moved on the rest of the way in silence, her legs already burning with exertion. With all that armor he had on, it was a wonder how she could even support him.

_Why is a dressed like that, anyway?_

She wanted to ask, but the words never left her lips. Now was not the time to be asking such questions. His life was practically in her hands. He was depending on her. Needed her. So the questions would be for a later time.

"Who… do you live with?"

Rapunzel stiffened at the question.

"My mother… she lives with me."

For a long while they walked through the hallway that would have taken her moments to cross alone. Rapunzel could feel her heart rate rise. They were approaching her mother's room. The very room she hated sneaking past. It had been hard enough crossing it on her own. But now, she was practically carrying someone.

Maybe this had been a bad idea from the start.

The way she saw it now, things could only end in a disaster. Her mother would soon awake, punish her, and throw this boy out into the dark night. But no matter the odds against her, she just couldn't—wouldn't give up, and let this boy die. Something within her would not allow it.

"Naruto." He coughed.

Rapunzel looked at him with confusion.

"Hmm…?"

"I… never told you my name." He smiled faintly. "It's Naruto."

_Naruto. _She thought, the strange, foreign name bouncing around in her head.

Her lips curled into a shy smile. "I'm Rapunzel."

"Nice… to meet you, Rapunzel." He spoke softly, sagging in her arms.

Her eyes widened.

"Please don't give up. We're almost there."

It was as though her words renewed his strength, because he stood up once more, right arm wrapping tighter around her shoulder.

When they reached the side of her mother's open door, Rapunzel stopped abruptly. Naruto groaned lightly at the sudden stop, but didn't complain. Why would he?

She turned to him with a fearful look.

"Um, my mother," she began. "She won't like it if she sees you here. So we need to be super quite, or we'll be in trouble."

Confusion spread across Naruto's features, his dim eyes widening.

"But-"

Rapunzel cut in, whispering. "Please believe me." She begged. "I can help you if we get to my room."

A lingering pause followed. And then the blonde stranger nodded.

"Ok…"

She nodded as well and made the first shaky steps past her slumbering mother's door. She was tense, body moving slower than ever before. Naruto followed suit, walking as stealthily as an injured person could.

_Creak!_

The sound rang once more, yet she didn't stop.

_Creak!_

She moved on.

_Creak!_

Rapunzel didn't look back as they finally made it past the open door. She waited for a moment, listening intently, waiting to see if her mother had finally awakened.

Nothing. No movement, or groggy murmurs from her mother.

She breathed a small and relieved sigh, sending a happy smile toward Naruto.

But he looked far to pale. His eyes staring into space.

Her smile fell. He needed her help now.

* * *

When they finally reached her room, Rapunzel could support him no longer. She fell, pulling Naruto down with her to the soft, carpeted floor. Even then, he still moaned in agony as they made contact with the ground.

She shot up like a bullet at the pained sound. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

And then she was at his side, helping him to roll on his back, where she could see all the wounds that marred his body. His breastplate was cracked, his clothes all but torn, his left arm and right leg gravely injured.

"Who did this to you…?"

She didn't even notice the words as they left her lips. But he still responded, panting as he struggled to sit up.

"A war… battle, soldier's everywhere…" He managed through gritted teeth.

Rapunzel gently eased him back to the ground, letting his head rest on her lap.

"Don't get up yet," she spoke softly, looking down at him nervously. "I-I'm going to heal you."

His blue eyes studied her. "H… how…?"

She swallowed hard, fear suddenly filling her again. The Fear of the rejection she might face when she used her unique ability to heal him. For some reason she didn't want him to reject her. There was just something about him. Something strange, yet alluring. Something she wanted to know in full.

"Please don't freak out."

Naruto looked at her in confusion. "Freak ou-"

"Do you trust me?"

It was a question so sudden and demanding, that Rapunzel was surprised she had even asked it. She regretted it instantly. Why would he trust her? She had just met him.

But contrary to her expectations, he actually nodded.

"You…" He managed between breaths, "chose to help me after all. So I trust you."

Unbidden, a small smile founds its way to her lips, cheeks reddening in the dim light of her room. He trusted her. He actually trusted her.

"Hold still, ok? I'm going to… to sing for you."

The blonde soldier looked at her with something akin to befuddlement. But she ignored it, holding his head gently in her lap. If the situation hadn't been so dire, then she would have been beyond embarrassed, having him so close to her, in her arms. Even now she couldn't help but avoid his piercing sapphire eyes.

Rapunzel took in a deep, shuddering breath. She made sure that her lengthy blonde locks were in contact with his bleeding skull, shrouding _his _blonde hair with hers. To her surprise he didn't protest and stayed perfectly still, patiently awaiting the sound of her voice.

_Here we go. _

She inhaled slowly.

"_Flower gleam and glow…" _

The opening words of that song left her lips, filling her with confidence and courage. The courage to help this boy resting in her lap.

"_Let your power shine…" _

She could feel it, that familiar energy coursing through her body, down her hair, and into him.

"_Make the clock reverse…"_ Light flowed through her hair, golden and beautiful, illuminating her dark and silent room. She felt Naruto stiffen in her tiny lap, breath hitching in his throat, absorbing the energy emanating from her like a sponge.

"_Bring back what once was mine…"_

His body started to glow, eyes burning with golden fire. Such a thing had never happened when she sang to her mother. Yet she didn't let that hinder her.

"_Heal what has been hurt_…" Flickering flames covered him, the wounds to his skull healing, the gash on his thigh receding, the blood on his clothes evaporating like water in the sun.

"_Change the fate's design…"_

"_Save what has been lost…"_

"_Bring back what once was lost…"_

"_What once was mine..."_

With those last words lingering in the air, Rapunzel tightly shut her eyes. She was waiting—waiting to hear his inevitable reaction as the golden lights filling the darkness receded. He stirred on her lap, rising up with a surprised gasp. He looked at his legs, then his arms, then he touched his face with trembling hands.

There was a stunned silence.

She clenched her hands, expecting, waiting for him to scream in terror at her miraculous healing abilities.

"_That was amazing!"_

The young boy exploded, turning to her with wide eyes.

Rapunzel almost gasped, emerald eyes opening to his grinning face.

"W-Wait, what?"

"That was amazing!" He repeated while rubbing his golden hair.

Her mouth opened dumbly, mind unable to believe he wasn't frightened in the slightest. "You mean… you're not _scared?"_

His eyes brightened as he sat up, jumping up and down, testing his legs for any remaining damage, any lasting pain or hindrances. He found none.

"Of course not." Naruto turned to her with a strange, almost disbelieving look. "You just _saved _my life."

Stunned into silence, Rapunzel could not believe what she was hearing, her mind going completely blank.

Maybe, just maybe she would finally have a friend.

* * *

**I don't know what it is about Tangled that I love so much. This movie is just awesome! ****Anyways, it seems that Rapunzel has found a life long companion in a blonde, orange-loving idiot. And what was up with that light show? Are Naruto and Rapunzel more _intertwined _than they realize?**

**Ages: as said earlier in the story, Rapunzel at the moment is six. I imagine that she was very smart at that age and was able to make decisions. And no, she is not in love with Naruto... _yet. _She's far too young. She's just so curious and nervous about meeting the opposite sex for the first time, that she's can't help but react in a natural way (Blushing, flushing, heart racing, all that good stuff). The first time I remember being attracted to girls was when I was seven, so I'm sure her reactions aren't too unrealistic, or far-fetched. **

**Naruto's age will be told in the next chapter. **

**Wow, that was a ton of words. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed!**


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